1. GOMER SEWER IMPROVEMENT AREA
Informational Meeting
June 20, 2017, 6:30 p.m.
Gomer’s Dads Club
Nicholas Avenue
Introduction.

2. Overview of Tonight’s Meeting
Review History of Project
Review Field Testing
Review April 2015 General Study
Review Project Cost and Financing for Recommended Option
Review Procedures for Completing Project
Review Easement Acquisition Procedure
Review Tentative Schedule
Questions and Answers
What we will cover tonight.

3. I. History of Project
During 2010: OEPA obtained stream samples within the Gomer area. The results of the samples confirmed an excess level of E. coli present and that nuisance conditions existed indicating violations of water quality standards.
July 10, 2012: OEPA sent a letter to the Allen County Commissioners regarding their findings in the Gomer area. OEPA requested the Commissioners respond in writing as to how the water quality violations will be addressed.
September 20, 2012, July 15, 2013, July 29, 2013 and August 5, 2013: Allen County conducted additional Pike Run stream testing to determine the scope of the problem and to confirm water quality standards were being violated.

4. I. History of Project (cont.)
August 2013: Kohli & Kaliher Associates, Inc. was authorized by the Allen County Commissioners to complete a General Study to determine how best to serve the Gomer Sewer Improvement Area with collection, conveyance and treatment facilities to eliminate the water quality violations.
April 2015: Kohli & Kaliher Associates, Inc. completed a General Study of the area to determine the most cost effective method to address water quality violations.
July 21, 2016: Letter was sent to property owners updating the status of the project.
Present: For the last few months we have been researching funding opportunities.

5. II. Field Testing
Ohio Administrative Code – Public Health Nuisance

6. II. Field Testing (cont)

7. II. Field Testing (cont)
Test results highlighted in yellow identify a public health nuisance in accordance with OAC (F)(1)(B).

8. III. April 2015 General Study of Project Area
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has documented nuisance conditions within the area which have violated OAC (State Water Quality Standards) due to off lot discharge of sanitary wastes.
Individual homes are served by various types of household sewage treatment systems. These include, but not limited to, septic tanks or aeration tanks, most of which discharge off-site to various storm sewer outlets. Pike Run at Gomer is on the list of prioritized impaired waters in the “OEPA 2014 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report” due to non-attainment of human health and recreation assessment criteria as a Class B, Primary Contact for Recreation use stream and OAC General Water Quality Criteria.

9. III. April 2015 General Study (cont)
Statutory Responsibility
The Allen County Commissioners are the responsible body for the planning, financing and operating publicly owned wastewater collection and treatment works in the Gomer planning area due the County having an established countywide sewer district per ORC
Some General Study Findings
Based upon the results of this study, a summary of findings is as follows:
The present discharge of maltreated and/or untreated sewage causes public health hazards and odor problems.
Most of the home sites do not have an adequate lot size to install leaching fields to prevent off lot discharge.
Some water well isolation distances are not adequate per requirements.
There are approximately 150 user equivalents (1 user equivalency = 1 residential home) within the project area.

10. III. May 2015 General Study (cont)
Studied Options:

11. III. April 2015 General Study (cont)
Recommendation:
After evaluating the economic, environmental and social costs related to alternatives for collecting, transporting and treating sanitary flows, it is recommended that Option C, a combination of gravity sanitary sewers and low pressure collection with individual grinder pumps and a pump station with 6” force main be installed to collect and transport collected sanitary flows to the American #2 Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment.

12. III. April 2015 General Study (cont)
Layout of all the properties involved in the project.

13. IV. Project Cost and Financing
Total Estimated Project Cost Breakdown
Construction
$2,816,430
Engineering
$ 279,600
Easement & Land Acquisition
$ 20,000
Miscellaneous(interim financing, issuance and etc.)
$ 37,970
Contingency
$ 282,000
Total Estimated Project Cost =
$ 3,436,000
Breakdown of costs to property owners.

14. IV. Project Cost and Financing (cont)
Estimated Costs to Property Owners
Total number of property structures is Therefore, the apportioned cost per structure is $22,907 ($3,436,030 ÷ 150). NOTE-This cost has no funding assistance factored into the cost per property owner. The cost per property owner may be certified to taxes for 20 years, or placed on the sewer bill as a debt service depending on the type of financial assistance.
Abandonment of existing sewage and installation of sanitary sewer lateral and potential house plumbing modifications. Approximate cost - $1,500 to $2,000. This is an out-of-pocket cost to property owner.
Once connected to project each customer will receive a quarterly sewer bill from the County to pay for the operation, maintenance, and future expenditures for the sewer district. The cost at the present time is $ per quarter for a single residential property.

15. IV. Project Cost and Financing (cont)
Funding Assistance:
Funding assistance will be dependent on Median Household Income (MHI) of the township and/or surveyed Individual Household Income.
The next steps of moving forward with the project will be to complete individual household income surveys and submit pre-applications for assistance.
Potential financial and service assistance agencies are as follows:

16. IV. Project Cost and Financing (cont)
ESTIMATED SUMMARY OF COST
Principal Project Cost per Household
On-Lot
(out-of-pocket)
Quarterly
Sewer Bill
$22,907
$1,500--$2,000
$148.50
The Principal Project Cost per Household may be paid in cash, assessed to taxes or charged to sewer bill for 20 years with interest. The method of repayment will be dependent on the type of funding assistance.
 There is no funding assistance factored into this cost.

17. V. Procedures for Completing Project
ORC 6117 Assessment Process:
Commissioners adopt resolution approving General Plan and Declaring Necessity of project.
Notification to agricultural use property for inclusion of property into an agricultural district (front footage assessments).
Commissioners adopt resolution to establish Project Assessment Hearing.
Conduct a Project Assessment Hearing.
Five day wait for written objections.
Respond to all written objections.
G. Ten day wait for filing of all appeals to Probate Court.
Settle all appeals.
Proceed to the design and construction of the project with BOCC consideration of “Improvement Resolution”.
Complete construction of the project.
Finalize cost of project, and mail billings to property owners. Allow 30 days for cash payment.
Notify property owners for connection to the project.
Certify uncollected PAs to the tax duplicate of the property owners.

18. V. Procedures for Completing Project
ORC 6117 Non-Assessment Process:
Conduct a Project Informational Meeting (tonight).
Commissioners adopt resolution approving General Plan and Declaring Necessity of project.
Complete applications to funding agencies.
Conduct a Pre-construction Informational Meeting with property owners.
Proceed to the design and construction of the project with Commissioners consideration of “Improvement Resolution”.
Bid and complete construction of project.
Finalize cost of project, and mail billings to property owners allowing 30 days for cash payment , or do nothing, and it placed as a debt service charge on sewer bill.
Conduct a project wrap-up meeting with property owners.

19. VI. Easements & Acquisition
The County is requesting all property owners who have, or will be contacted for acquisition of easements to donate the easement to the project. The cost of acquisition of easements is factored back into the overall cost of the project. Therefore, all property owners in the project will pay for the added cost of easement acquisition. However, if a property owner chooses to be compensated for the easement the County has a process of evaluating the value of the easement(s) to make a just compensation offer to the property owner.
At this time there are no easements to get. The purpose of this will be to provide maintenance of the collection system.

20. VII. Tentative Schedule
June 20, Hold Public Informational Meeting.
November Complete “Income Survey” of residents within the area to determine eligibility for federal and/or state grants.
December 2018 – Consideration by commissioners through resolution to approve project and begin design.
January 2019 – Finalize financial assistance process.
July 2019 – Complete design of the proposed facilities.
August Submit construction drawings and specifications to the Ohio EPA to obtain a Permit to Install (PTI).
September Hold Pre-construction Meeting or Public Hearing.
November Advertise for bids, receive bids, award contracts.
December Obtain interim financing.
January Begin construction.
September 2020-Complete construction.
November Facilities become operational.
December 2020 – Project wrap-up meeting with property owners.
What will happen from start to finish.

21. VIII. Questions & Answers?
Leave open for any questions.